Tea Forté Silken Pyramid Infusers
The tall, elegant "silken" pyramid is PET plastic mesh - a premium version of the format that sheds the most microplastics.
The verdict: Mostly plastic
By Tea Forté's own description, the signature pyramid is a food-grade PET "silken" mesh - polyethylene terephthalate, the same polymer family as plastic bottles. The bag itself is plastic, submerged in near-boiling water for the entire steep, which is precisely the nylon/PET pyramid format the peer-reviewed microplastics research measured. The leaf tag and presentation are the appeal; the material in the cup is plastic.
Verification: Manufacturer confirmed
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Food contact |
|---|---|---|
| pyramid infuser mesh food-grade PET ("silken") mesh - the steeped bag is plastic | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary 🔥 |
| tag signature leaf-shaped tag on a stem | Paper | No |
Tea Forté's product is as much an object as a tea - a tall, sculptural pyramid with a hand-tied leaf tag, sold heavily as gifts and in hospitality. The pyramid holds whole-leaf tea and is designed to be seen in the cup.
Pros
- Whole-leaf tea and a striking presentation
- PET is at least a recyclable resin (though the used, tea-soaked infuser rarely is in practice)
Cons
- The infuser is PET plastic steeped directly in hot water - the highest-microplastic-shedding format
- Marketed as premium "silken" without surfacing that the mesh is plastic
Categories: Tea Bags
Sources
Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.
- manufacturer https://teaforte.com/blogs/tea-notes/the-tea-forte-pyramid-infuser brand describes the pyramid as food-grade PET "silken" mesh
- review https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/tea-jam-and-honey/tea-forte-infusers-01024 retailer listing confirming the "silken PET" pyramid material
- review https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/some-plastic-your-tea-300919 McGill press release on Hernandez et al. 2019 (Environ. Sci. Technol. 53(21):12300) - nylon/PET pyramid bags release ~11.6 billion microplastic + 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles per cup at 95C
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